Why do people romanticize the “startup” culture, what makes it special?

Are you someone who’s confused about how startup culture works? Well, you’ve come to the right place! For starters and for those of you who don’t know what a startup is, simply and in the context of technology startups: a company with high potential of rapid growth, usually build and operate on the internet.

Now that that’s out of the way, startup culture is indeed different than that of corporates, and as StartUp Bahrain we’ve taken it upon ourselves to help clarify and make it simple for you on what startup culture is like.

Right off the bat, if you decide to or get the opportunity to work in a startup, there may be a certain amount of ifs and buts running through your head – working at a startup may be a bit unorthodox for some people, but we can tell you the reward is probably worth it. Here are some points that make startup culture what it is:

The environment.

Be prepared to work in close-knit teams, voice out your opinions, and wear almost whatever you want. The great thing about the culture is that you’re a group of somewhat like-minded people collectively working together to achieve the same goal, if that doesn’t scream productivity then I don’t know what does.

Inspiration.

In startups you’ll most likely be building something entirely from scratch – not just physically but figuratively too. You’ll be surrounded by passionate people just like you who are working hard to make things happen, and with this bringing out the best in you, it also allows for all the innovative ideas to flow.

Empowerment.

Startup environment isn’t about getting your job done and going home; instead, it is more than that; you’ll need to take more active parts in everything you do. In startups, you’re more than welcome to voice your thoughts, and opinions are very much appreciated in order to enhance work. You’ll be put to the test several times, failure is inevitable, but that is how you’ll gain more confidence and improve your decision making power.

Money vs. Experience.

We’ll be real here, if you’re looking for a good paycheck at the end of every month, then you probably won’t find that in startups. The turnover though is the significant amount of experience you will be getting and benefiting from a startup. In startups, you’ll learn how to be the jack of all trades.

The Hours.

Don’t expect to be working at a 9 to 5 desk every day for the rest of the week, be prepared to do even more hours than that. Reason being is that you’ll most likely be the one who has full control and are handling several things and projects that you need to get done – which isn’t such a bad thing because you’ll be able to learn a bunch.

There you have it, what makes startup culture so special. Startups are a great way of kick-starting your career, but honestly, startups culture isn’t for everybody and isn’t everyone’s cup of tea. Not everyone is cut out to handle the pressure and responsibilities, and that’s totally fine, go with what fits best with you, and we hope you strive!